Santa Ana suspects sought after robbing 2 businesses within minutes

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- Two armed robbers are on the loose after hitting a gas station and a motel within minutes in Santa Ana.

Security cameras caught an SUV peeling into a 76 gas station. Seconds later, you can see a man in an Adidas cap walking out and trying to open a door to the building - but stumbling backward.

The suspect then tries another door, followed by his accomplice. Once inside, they strike up a conversation.

"They talk to the clerk about how much gas it will take them to get to Long Beach," said Cpl. Anthony Bertagna of the Santa Ana Police Department.

Bertagna said the suspects, believed to be intoxicated or on drugs at the time, paid $10 worth of gas and then demanded cigarettes. When the clerk asked for ID, they got combative.

"They start sticking their hands in their pockets, he feels that they're possibly armed," Bertagna added.

When they demanded that he open the register, he complied. You can see the thieves emptying the cash drawer and taking off.

Just minutes earlier, a nearby Motel 6 was also robbed, police said.

"The detectives know they're related," Bertagna said. "The suspect description is the same, the car description's the same."

In that crime, the pair allegedly jumped over the counter, pulled a knife on a female employee and demanded money from the cash register.

Both crimes took place less than 10 minutes apart.

Anyone with information on the suspects was urged to contact Santa Ana police.